117 



the stirring of the soil and the planting "of the seed. The 

 phmts were thinned to about ten inches distance from each 

 other. They were cultivated by a horse once, and the thin- 

 ning and weeding was done by a man with a common hoe. 

 The yield from the half acre was 256 bushels; weight sixty- 

 three pounds per bushel, or over eight tons in all for one half 

 acre. 



This result is not satisfactory, nor does it equal the average 

 crop of this form, owing to the long drought. No rain of 

 any account fell for two months after the seed was planted. 



The half-acre of Mangold Wurtzels which the Committee 

 viewed, was a part of the same field, as described in tho 

 above statement in reference to my crop of Ruta Bagas. The 

 seed, was planted in the middle of May, and the ground re- 

 ceived the same treatment as the Ruta Baga crop, excepting 

 that they were cultivated, weeded, etc., twice during the 

 season, and the land had upon it in the season of 1875, a crop 

 *of Indian corn, and in the three preceding years, grass. 



The yield of the half acre was five hundred and sixt}^ bush- 

 els, weighing sixty pounds per bushel, or nearly seventeen 

 tons in all. The superiority of this yield over that of the 

 Ruta Bagas, is greatly owing, probably, to the month's earlier 

 planting, which gave the seed the benefit of the May rains. 



STRAWBERRY CROP. 



The Trustees awarded to Benj. F. Huntington, of Ames- 

 bury, for his crop of Strawberries, the premium of $10. 



STATEMENT OF BEX.J. F. HUNTINGTON. 



The crop of Strawberries which I present for premium, 

 was raised on ninety rods of laud the present year, on land 



